Stars in the Night
by Tigerflower1999
Summary: In an alternate universe where Ghetsis, along with Team Plasma, has long since conquered Unova, a young girl named Alisa one day meets a pokemon in the forest near her hometown. When she's caught, she's taken to a strange castle with strange people and crammed into a child's room with a strange boy.
1. Chapter 1

"Liberation! We must achieve the freedom of Pokémon _EVERYWHERE!_" A huge crowd of people were in front of a large magnificent castle. A young man in colorful robes stood on a royal balcony, speaking in a powerful voice that carried over the swarm of people.

"We have succeeded in liberating Pokémon in Unova! Only the traitorous outlaws, the so-called 'Gym leaders' and 'Elite Four', have refused to set their trapped Pokémon free! We must find them," the man slammed a fist down against the railing, "And exterminate them!"

Roars of approval sounded from the people below. "I, Ghetsis, leader of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma, will see to it that ALL Pokémon shall be freed!"

Alisa waved her brown hair out of her eyes as her crayons flew across the paper. Other doodled on papers were scattered all over her room's floor, but the one she was working on was more than just doodled on. it was a picture of a Zorua; copied off of an old photo in an album her mother had.

…

A little boy, barely four, watched his father give a speech through his bedroom window. Pressing his hand against the glass, the green-haired child had to stand on a stool to see out. Someone came into a room, and exclaimed, "Lord N! What are you doing?!" The boy, N, simply pointed out the window at his father. The adult sighed and walked over to N, picking him up saying as she did so, "Your father is amazing, isn't he?" N looked up at the person holding him, looking at her with his big aqua orbs. It was his mother, whose long white hair went down to her waist, and she was watching Ghetsis with loving eyes. N chose not to speak, instead trying to get his mother to release him.

…

It was a clear summer morning. The sky was bright and cloudless, and the water at the edge of Nuvema Town seemed to sparkle like sapphires. A young nine-year old girl was about to go out and play. She slipped on her white tank-top, her dark vest and her favorite jeans. Her caramel brown hair was in a long ponytail that brushed the lower part of her back. Tromping down the stairs, she jumped over the last three steps and lands with a loud _THUMP_ on her feet upon the wooden floor. Dashing into the kitchen, she grabbed the piece of toast her brother was about to take a bite out of, and stuck it in her own mouth.

"Hey!" her older brother exclaimed in surprise. His sister winked playfully and takes a bite, pulling the rest of the toast out. It had Oran berry jelly, her favorite; "I'm heading out!" she tossed those words over her shoulder, and her mother replied, "Stay safe!" Alisa rolled her eyes.

"I'm not a little girl anymore; I can take care of myself!" She called over her shoulder. Outside in the fresh air, Alisa twirled and skipped - she never felt so free. During school, the strict teachers never let her do anything fun; but now, it was summer, and she could do nothing but play, _play_, **_PLAY_**!

The door of her house opened, and her older brother, Kole, stepped outside. He wore his black t-shirt and dark pants. His baseball cap was red and white over his chocolate brown hair. He walked over to his sister and tugged lightly on her ponytail. She squeaked and rounded on him.

"Kole, you know I hate that!" Smirking, he patted her head and replied, "Exactly!" Sticking out her tongue, the younger sister huffed and started to walk towards the tree line; she loved to explore there, since there were many places to hide and build forts. Unfortunately, it was also against the rules to go in. She only trusted Kole with her secret place, knowing that by the brother-sister oath, he wouldn't tell on her. He still tried to stop her sometimes, though; "Alisa, we aren't supposed to go in there!" the eleven-year old attempted, but to no avail. She disappeared in the dark shrubs and trees. Alisa came to her favorite place in Unova, a stream surrounded by pretty little flowers while the sun filtered through the leaves of the trees. Dipping her hand in the stream playfully, she watched as the water danced around her wrist.

"Bliiiiiiitzz!" Alisa scrambled away from the water when she spotted a four legged creature with black fur, white stripes and feet with black hooves, and a short white mane and a flicking tuft of white fur for a tail.

The creature tilted his head as Alisa clumsily tried to scramble away. He crossed the stream easily, his limbs keeping his belly mostly dry, if a bit damp. Alisa breathed heavily out of fear. The creature was no taller than the Herdier that she often saw on the news channel, though it looked much more kind and playful than any of the viscous yapping dogs had looked.

"S-s-s-shoo!" Alisa said faintly, waving her hand towards it. The creature lowered his head towards the kneeling girl and whimpered then very softly touched his muzzle to Alisa's small palm. At first Alisa winced, but then started to stroke the pokemon's cute soft muzzle, smiling as it started wagging it's tail happily.

…

After that day Alisa went to the forest each day. And each day, she seemed to see more of the wondrous beings known as Pokemon. Deerlings, Pidoves, and even once she saw a snivy basking in the sunlight. But every day she would always meet Blitzle. The kind and playful pokemon, however forbidden by law it was, always was waiting by the stream. But one day…something went wrong. Alisa sat in the lush flower bed with Blitzle dozing next to her, when suddenly some man with flaming orange hair crashed through the undergrowth, but tripped on a root. Alisa shrieked and instantly Blitzle was in front of her, growling protectively. The man looked up in confusion before his eyes suddenly lit up in hope.

"You! I need an extremely huge favor of you. I need you to take these and hide them." The man hurriedly put six round red and white balls into Alisa's hand. He also quickly handed her a slightly disheveled but still useful sky blue bag before he looked over his shoulder.

"Now child listen, you must! You must keep Unova's last hope alive! Never give up befriending pokemon, no matter what happens!" Alisa fearfully nodded. Somehow the man's rushed words came as clear as the stream to her. Immediately he started running and he threw a good luck over his shoulder. Suddenly another person came through the undergrowth. Alisa looked up in fear.

"Well! It looks like I found a rebel!" He sneered. Marching over to Alisa, he grabbed her by the ponytail and yanked her roughly to her feet. Alisa cried out in pain, tears brimming around the edges of her now tightly shut eyes. Blitzle snarled bloodlust and rushed the man, but he kicked him in the side. "Where are the rest of the rebels, brat?!" he shook her fiercely, and the little child let out a pain-filled wail.

"Kole! Mom! Help anyone!" Alisa wailed hopelessly. The man suddenly brought his hand across her face.

"Shut up you insignificant little brat!" He hissed. Alisa let out a whimper, but stopped the loud wailing. Instead, she sniffled and let the tears flow silently. _Where is he taking me?!_ She screamed desperately inside her mind as he started dragging her. Remembering Blitzle, who was knocked unconscious and shoved into her arms, she clenched a fist. The pokemon was almost as big as her, so at the most she could hold his body up with his hooves dragged in the dirt.

Eventually, the three showed up at a town. Suddenly, Alisa let out a small scream when a man appeared before them out of nowhere. He was dressed in nearly all-black attire, and most of his face was covered by a dark gray cloth. An eyebrow rose slightly as he looked down at the small, frightened girl. "This is the rebel I was told about?" he said tonelessly, and the Grunt shook his head. "No, I lost that one... But I found her," he shakes Alisa's arm roughly, "With a Pokéball and Pokémon in the out-of-limits forest. Thus, she needs to immediately be taken before Ghetsis for punishment."

The shadowy man nodded slowly, adding to himself: _A mere child. Doubtful that she deserves such harsh treatment._ None-the-less, he took the little child from the Grunt. She tensed in fear, eyes shut tightly. In her arms, she carefully held a fainted pokemon as best she could; the corners of his mouth twitched slightly at the sight of her innocence. _Shame that Ghetsis will break her..._ And with that, he transported them out. Alisa and the strange shadowy man appeared in an elegant entrance hall. Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, and farther down the path were possibly dozens of doors; looking around in amazement, Alisa almost forgot her fear and gaped in awe. Blitzle stirred. Remembering, Alisa bit her lip and hugged her friend close. She also thought of her brother. Fresh tears seemed to emerge as she realized: _What will Mom think when I don't come home?! _

The man holding onto the girl was shocked to hear her pitiful sniffling. _Crying again?_ He thought, his forehead knitting slightly. He tried to ignore it, though, and ordered, "Come." Alisa had no choice but to follow the strange man down the corridor. After a minute of walking, they stopped at a large set of oak doors. "Good luck." Alisa heard the man murmur before vanishing into thin air. Trembling, the young girl watched as the doors opened inward, revealing a grand throne room. A man with long green hair sat on a golden seat, his robes half beige, half blue, with a decorative design of an eye on each half. One of his eyes had a red robotic-like covering, which seemed to x-ray Alisa. She shivered, and stepped inside unwillingly. The doors slammed shut behind her with a loud bang. Wincing, Alisa stood there, several meters away from the King-like man. He leered at her, and the little girl shrank slightly. "Well. So you're the child that was found with a Pokémon... _AND_ a Pokéball?" A twisted malicious smile formed on his face. Alisa desperately wanted to run away, to go home and cry in her mother's comforting arms. But the young girl couldn't do that, because she didn't even know where this strange castle building was. Eyes lowered, Alisa hugged Blitzle protectively.

"Travis, Robert." the man snapped his fingers together. Two men dressed similar to the man that had captured Alisa earlier came forward out of the shadows. "Take this child to the Prince's room... I am sure it is time for him to learn the correct way to punish law-breakers..." The brown haired girl shrank even more, and as the two Grunts came forward to grab her, she made a mad attempt to bolt. But she didn't get farther than a few steps before the Grunt closest to her snatched her and dragged her back. Alisa let out a yelp and started to struggle, still holding Blitzle in her arms. One of them struck her already sensitive face, and she let out a pained sob and went limp. Her head was bowed as the two men led her down yet another hallway and up several flights of stairs. Finally, they stopped outside of a plain set of doors. One of them opened the door, and the other shoved the girl inside brutally.

…

N looked up surprise as a pained cry aroused him from a nap. At first he thought it was a pokemon what with his first sight being Blitzle, but he quickly retreated again into the shadowy part of the mass of stuffed animals, blankets, and pillows once noticing the girl. Suddenly he noticed the Blitzle weakly creep out of the girl's grasp and gently the pokemon nudged the girl's cheek. Alisa struggled to her knees, still not noticing the green haired boy, and she petted the pokemon on its soft furred neck. Blitzle whickered weakly as Alisa stroked him but then he fainted again.

"What are you doing here?"

Alisa quieted quickly, and lifted her head to look up. A young boy stood before her, barely over her age, with long green hair that was tied back in a low, messy ponytail. He looked down at her with a blank expression, and she blinked away some of the tears. "I-I don't know..." she answered in a whisper. The boy didn't say anything; he only watched her curiously. _She doesn't know why she's here?!_ Changing his attention to the pokemon, he bent down to pick it up. Alisa's eyes widened when she saw the boy reaching for her friend. Immediately, she moved herself to stop him, causing the strange child to grab onto her arm instead. "Uh..." the boy blinked, surprised. The girl was shielding the Pokémon from him with her own body. Slightly irritated, he held onto her head and used his other hand to gently pull Blitzle away. Alisa let out a pathetic whimper, eyes wide as she expected the boy to hurt her precious friend. Willing to do anything, she got to her knees and bowed low. "I'm sorry! Just don't hurt Blitzle!" A startled silence followed Alisa's apology. Not knowing what to do or say, the boy held the pokemon in his arms as the green-haired child continued, "I don't know what I did wrong, but please forgive me! Just don't hurt my friend!" At the last sentence, she lifted her head, showing the boy the tears she had started to shed. He blinked, and wondered aloud, "Friend?" He looked down at the injured Pokémon in his arms, and frowned. "You treat your friends like this? He has a bruise!" Shocked at the accusation, Alisa exclaimed, "I didn't do that! A man kicked her!" And she got to her feet unsteadily. She stuck her chin out and plowed on, "I have other friends that I played with, too! Patrat, who taught me how to find pretty shells in the stream, Munna, who showed me a really fun game with berries, and Oshawott, who didn't really want to admit that she liked me even though she was one of my closest friends." More water crystals began to fall from Alisa's face as she added, "They liked playing with me and I treated them good! So please don't say that I would hurt my friends like that!"

The boy was, needless to say, shocked about how the young girl was reacting. "I wouldn't..." he began to say, eyes worried for a slight second. But that's when the Herdier sized Pokémon woke up. Blitzle had awoken in a strange boy's arms, and he growled in alarm. Struggling free, he jumped away and skittered back to Alisa, unused to the hard wood floor near the doorway that he was trying to walk on. Alisa held out her arms and Blitzle leaped into them. "Blitzle! I'm so glad you're okay!" the little girl sobbed happily, rocking from side-to-side. The green-haired child was speechless; never before had he seen a human and a Pokémon so... happy together. Clenching a fist, he tried to mentally shake away the doubts. _Father has told me that humans will do nothing but hurt my friends... and my friends have always said the same._ His steeled his resolve as he watched Alisa continue to fondle over the little electric type pony. Alisa became aware of the boy's continuous staring, and she slowly grew still. Nervous sweat beaded on her face as she thought: _This place still scares me... What is he going to do?_ Trying to push away her fears, the young girl said boldly, "My name is Alisa." The Prince stared at her; "What?" "I'm Alisa. What's your name?" "... N." Alisa's eyes widened considerably, and she gasped, "As in the letter?" The other child, N, was about to answer, when the doors slammed open behind them.

The Kingly man from earlier strode into the room, a powerful aura about him as he glared down at the two small children. Alisa stepped back, frightened at the King's sudden appearance. The man's eyes looked from N to the girl, then he snapped, "Well, boy? Have you thought of a punishment?!" _Punishment?!_ The brown haired girl felt more tears building up at the thought, and she continued to retreat backwards slowly. Blitzle was still in her arms, and was scared beyond measure at the sight of such a powerful human. _-He gives off the creepiest of feelings! -_ The black and white Pokémon thought, shrinking into Alisa's protective arms. N froze slightly at his father's anger, and then shook his head. Suddenly the boy was sent sprawling, having been struck across the face by the green haired man. Alisa let out a cry of alarm, and whirled on the man, momentarily fearless as she protested, "You can't hit people!" The long-haired man, with his red eyes, rounded on the small girl. He loomed above her, eyes flashing. _She DARES to speak out against me?!_ "Impudent child!" the King growled, grabbing Alisa's hair violently. She cried out in pain, and was nearly lifted off her feet when the man turned quickly to face his son, who was getting to his knees. "_This_ is how you punish those who go against our laws!" he said harshly in his powerful voice, speaking over Alisa's pained whimpers. Then, in a swift motion, he tosses the girl across the room, sending the small nine-year old crashing into a tower of colorful wooden blocks and sliding on the ground. When she finally rolled to a stop, trembling in agony, she pulled herself up on one arm. Blitzle was unharmed, as Alisa had unconsciously curled around him to protect as much if his body as she could. N's eyes were wide in horror; he doubted that she deserved that brutal of treatment. "Father, I..." The man interrupted coldly, "Not another word. That _thing_," a finger was pointed at the girl, "Shall stay here until you learn how to properly treat those who disobey." Alisa's eyes widened. _He can't keep me here! _She thought in horror.

"Y-you can't do this...!" In a flash, the colorfully robed man was in front of the girl, leering down at her. Knocking her down with a fierce back-hand, the pale green-haired adult icily replied, "I, King Ghetsis of the great Team Plasma, will not be ordered around by a useless child such as you!"

An onslaught of tears threatened to spill out of Alisa's cerulean orbs, but she didn't dare show them in the presence of this man – Ghetsis. After a moment of angry silence, Ghetsis straightened slowly, and turned to leave. But before he left, he caught sight of his son's shocked expression. "This is all for the good of the Pokémon, boy." he said, nurturing the ideas in N's mind. And just like that, the King left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. N, his long mint green hair dangling in his face at odd places, looked over at the girl with remorse shining in his eyes. The said young girl lay crouched on the carpeted floor, the Blitzle next to her, having crawled out of the child's arms before Alisa had gotten to her feet earlier. "He's... so mean." she whispered shakily, and N paled. _Why does she speak of Father like that? He has accomplished many things, even if he has had to rule with an iron fist..._ Wiping at her eyes, Alisa looked at N with a scared expression; "Y-you know what? I-I hope your proud of your f-father." She sniffed angrily. She wiped away a tear. Something stirred inside of the young boy at Alisa's words; it was an emotion he hadn't felt before - it was a desire to apologize, was a desire to comfort her; though he didn't know, it was guilt. "... I..." N didn't finish; he instead looked away from her, staring blankly at the ground.

"I'm very sorry that I dragged you into this, Blitzle..." The brown haired child hung her head, finally seeming to be defeated. It was practically hopeless; she had no idea where she was, what would become of her or Blitzle, or if she'd even see her family again. _They'll think I left... like Daddy... _She tugged out her ponytail and let her long brown hair flow to settle around her face, slightly hiding her tears.

Outside of the castle, the sun began to set under the thick cloud cover.


	2. Chapter 2

His brown eyes opened in a snap. Kole sat up in the forest clearing, with probably one of the worst headaches ever. "Uh..." he moaned, rubbing his temple as he looked around. The sun was low in the sky; the young boy let out a startled choking sound – he had just remembered what had happened. Having gotten worried when she'd stayed out later than usual he'd gone looking for her with his friends Cheren and Bianca, in the forest. Then, he drew a blank. "Cheren! Bianca!" Getting to his feet much too quickly, the vertigo threw him in a spinning spell. Closing his eyes, he didn't see the three creatures emerge from their hiding places and watched as the other two humans stirred.

Patrat looked at Kole curiously. _-Oshawott, I think you hit them too hard. They seem like they're hurt...-_ The Oshawott was on her guard, worried about the young girl that had been taken right before their eyes the previous night. _-They were trying to find Alisa; friends of hers maybe?-_ Munna shuffled forward slowly, sniffing at the child. Kole's eyes popped back open and saw the trio. "AAAH!" he shouted, stumbling backwards. Bianca and Cheren instantly hid behind him. The three also let out yelps and darted back into the shrubbery. The trio of humans stared after them in shock. Having grown up most of his life where Pokémon were considered to be God-like beings, they was unsure of what to do. Then it hit Kole; "Alisa came out here to see the Pokémon..." he spoke his thoughts aloud. Shaking away any doubts he had, he crawled towards where he saw the Pokémon disappear.

"K-Kole be careful..." Bianca said after him quietly. Kole pushed aside some shrubbery and hesitated before shouting, "Please come back! My sister, Alisa, might be in trouble! I need your help!" Nothing came out of the leaves. "PLEASE!" the brown-haired boy yelled desperately, and several birds took off into the sky in alarm, calling out. Cheren and Bianca looked at each other before nodding.

"Please! Our friend might be in real danger!" Bianca shouted.

"We promise we won't be much trouble, if you'd just help us a bit!" Cheren yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Oshawott had heard him, and froze in her fleeing tracks. _-Alisa is in trouble?-_ She called out to the Patrat and Munna, who stopped running as well and turned to gaze at Oshawott. Jerking her head, the Otter Pokémon slipped back to the clearing. Appearing directly in front of the boy's nose, she was startled when he jumped backwards. _-We're going to regret this, I just know it...-_ she thought, realizing that the boy was hardly fit to travel with just the three of them. "_Osha!_" she hummed reassuringly, and turned at the sound of Patrat and Munna walking up behind her. _-We're going to help them get Alisa back.-_

_..._

The King of the Plasmas, Ghetsis, paced angrily in his throne room. His lackeys had just recently captured what appeared to be a young rebel. It was a girl, who had been found in the banned forest with not only a Poké Ball but a Pokémon as well. And that wasn't all; his hunters had failed to capture the one thing he desired most to destroy - the former Champion, Alder, who was the symbol of all hope left among those who dared fight against his tyranny. Not even nine years of searching, in which they had managed to arrest nine out of the eleven Gym leaders and half of the Elite Four, had got them closer to total rule over this region. Turning to look at the 'Wanted' signs that he had hanging in the room, his lip curled as he remembered each successful capture.

The trio of brothers - a bright red 'X' slashed through two of their faces; the blue one remained unmarked.

The archeologist with aqua-blue hair - another dark 'X'

The Bug-type specialist, with his eccentric hairstyle and clothing - 'X'

The ex-model and lover of Electric-types - 'X'

The elderly man with a cowboy hat, who left deep trenches in the dirt with his shoes as grunts both pushed and pulled the stubborn rebel from his stronghold - 'X'

The pale blue-haired man who used his icy fortress to hide a small group of rebels - 'X'

The Dragon Masters - two more red 'X'es splashed across the poster

The Writer of the Elite Four, with her odd hairstyle and love of reading and writing - 'X'

The muscular former-pupil of Alder, who fought back with his fists even after all his Pokémon were lost or defeated - 'X'

A cold smile remained on the overlord's face. _Once we have Alder, all those who oppose shall give up and be easily taken care of._ the man thought wickedly, and turned to stalk out of the room to send out more searchers.

...

A young girl sat in a room filled with toys and games. A train-set chugged away on its wooden track, puffing out real steam; a huge blue half-pipe also existed in the room, taking up a quarter of the space. There was also a basketball hoop, with a worn basketball sitting forlornly beneath it. And various stuffed animals and wooden blocks littered the floor around the child. Another child, a few years older than the first, with mint-green hair and baggy clothes, stood a distance away from the brunette girl. Neither of them played. A Blitzle was there as well, and he sat by his human friend, looking worried. Alisa, the sad girl in the seemingly happy playroom, her head bowed in misery. She had been taken from her home, or more precisely the forest beside her home, and had no idea where she was. Fresh bruises covered her flushed skin, and her cheeks were raw from being struck and crying because of it. No tears seemed to be left as the nine-year old absorbed the perilous situation she was now in. Having accidentally befriended a wild Pokémon, even though it was forbidden, the young child had been caught red-handed and brought to a far away castle, where she had, so far, been brutally abused. And the day wasn't even done yet. The boy, who was known as simply N, was used to the harsh treatments of his father, the King, Ghetsis. He had lived in this room for almost all of his life, or, for as long as he could remember. It wasn't as lonely as one would assume, though. Whenever he wasn't playing with his assortment of gadgets or reading his scientific books, the young green-haired boy would play with his friends - neglected Pokémon who had been brought to the castle by Ghetsis's orders. It would have seemed odd, to most outsiders, that while the King preached of no human-Pokémon interaction, his own son would he seeing them on a regular basis. It was a complicated reason, and no one really knew the exact reason; besides Ghetsis, of course.

Alisa was crouched on the cloud-blue carpet, staring sadly at the brightly decorated wall in front of her. N was concerned; from what little human contact he had received in his ten years of life, this was not normal. _She seems like the Pokémon that are brought to me... like my friends._ Hesitant at first, he takes a cautious step towards her; Alisa either didn't notice it, or she didn't acknowledge it. A few more steps and the boy loomed over her. Having no idea what to say, he slowly places his hand on Alisa's shoulder. Immediately, he felt her body tense at his touch, and N felt guilty.

"D-don't hurt me..." Alisa's barely audible words came as a splash of ice water to N. His father had ordered that she be kept here so that N could learn how to 'properly punish' a law-breaker, but the boy didn't have a violent bone in his body. Lifting his hand away, he desperately sought a way to prove to the slightly younger girl that he wasn't going to harm her.

Alisa heard the other child hurriedly move about the room - she didn't care, though. Suddenly, the movement ceased a short distance to her right. The sound of multiple things being picked up within something, and Alisa's sky blue bag was shoved into her face. The girl blinked, surprised; "My bag?" She then recalled how it had slipped off her arm when she had been tossed into the room for the first time; Alisa had almost completely forgotten about it. Taking it slowly, she mumbled a soft 'thank-you' to N. He didn't reply, only nodded. But then a terrified gasp escaped him when a small, round object fell out of the bag and bounced on the floor. "T-that's a—!" he stammered in alarm, backing away quite quickly. Alisa looked down at the enlarged Pokéball, which she recalled was one of six that the flaming headed man had given her before she was captured. Tilting her head, the younger child picked it up and examined it. It was half red, and the bottom part was white. The material used to make it felt smooth; "Do you know what this is, N?" she asked curiously, clueless about the forbidden item she held in her tiny palm.

"It's a Pokéball - my Father says those are evil!" N burst out, paling at the sight of one; he had never seen one of them up-close, only from a distance - when they were being crushed. Alisa blinked, frowning; _If that mean Ghetsis says they're evil... Then I think I should keep mine._ Wordlessly, Alisa turned away from N to discuss the foreign object in her hand. Blitzle sniffed at it, curious about the ball like object. He knew it sounded childish but...it looked like an interesting toy, and it almost made him want to play with it. Tilting his head, he noticed a small button on it and, despite his instincts telling him to be a bit careful, he pressed his muzzle against it.

And in a flash of red, Blitzle was sucked into the Pokéball. Both Alisa and N let out a cry of alarm, with Alisa dropping the item with a small '_tmp_' sound. "You just-! You captured-!" N repeatedly tried to start a sentence, but was too shocked to accomplish that. The girl went to pick it up, and wondered how she could send her friend back out. So she tried, "Blitzle! Blitzle come back out!" and in a flash of red, her friend reappeared before them. The electric pony Pokémon looked around, and then saw Alisa. The creature smiled as if to assure his friend of his well being, then dove into the bag to pull out the others. Strange, there were only two others. Maybe the others had fallen out at some point. N was speechless; _The Pokémon was OKAY with being trapped?! Why?!_ Finally regaining his ability to talk, the boy asked in a shaky voice, "Where did you get those?" Alisa looked over her shoulder at him, and replied, "A man gave them to me. He looked really sad and unhappy, so when he asked me to take them I did." It was nonchalant, but Alisa remembered the experience vividly; it was right before her abduction, and a strange man had burst into the clearing she and her friends were in. He was muttering about being on the run, when he spotted the young child. Then after giving her six Pokéballs, he had vanished with his parting words being, "You are the hope of Unova... Become a Trainer... And stop Team Plasma..." And of course, that eventually led to Alisa being taken by a Grunt, and brought to the castle. Now the young girl couldn't help but wonder: _Was he an outlaw? One of those 'Gym leaders' that keep getting mentioned on the news? Or- oh goodness! One of the elite four or...the __**CHAMPION**__?_

N watched the girl as she mulled over her thoughts. The Prince was at loss for what to say; if it was true that someone gave them to her and she used one to catch Blitzle, why does she seem so clueless as how to use one? "You should break it." N found himself saying, and the girl rounded on him. Her raw face looked frustrated as she responded defiantly, "No." Startled at her lack of cooperativeness, the young boy insisted, "I'm the Prince - you have to!" Alisa turned away, filling her cheeks with air. "No!" She exclaimed loudly. "If you don't, then..."

He didn't know how to finish that sentence. _What could I do to make her break it... without her hating me?_ The male child didn't want Alisa to hate him - he couldn't even stand the thought of someone being mad at him. But yet there stood this girl, obviously at the mercy of fate, defiantly refusing to comply to the Prince's order. Something made a noise in a far corner, and several creatures came running out to greet N; one was small and fox-like, with red fur splashed on different parts of its body, and it nearly jumped into the boy's arms. Immediately, N forgot about the human girl at the sight of his friends. Laughing joyfully, he stroked his best friend, a Zorua, and asked, "How are you?" _-I'm great, N!-_ The little fox peered around N to stare at Alisa cautiously. _-Who's that?-_

The girl watched the group of Pokémon surrounding N, her blue eyes wide. How easily the boy had dropped his troubles when he saw his Pokémon friends, whereas Alisa was still worried about what would happen if she didn't destroy the device still in her hand; after all, the Prince never did finish his sentence. Blitzle stopped searching the bag, and looked at all the other Pokémon; he let out a happy cry, and bounded over to join their group. All of them began to play, except for Zorua, who was still in the Prince's arms. N didn't answer his friend, his face going blank. Zorua then saw the object in Alisa's hand, and asked in amazement, _-Is she a Trainer?!-_ Without waiting for an answer, he jumped out of N's arms and scampered over to the girl. Sniffing at her, Zorua stiffened when a gentle hand reached down and began to pet the Tricky Fox. Alisa crouched, continuing to softly stroke the Pokémon's fur. The Zorua blinked, and smiled slightly. _-N, she's nice. I like her!-_

N was surprised beyond extent; Zorua was the one that had been abused the most by humans, yet he had just claimed that he liked this girl. Clenching a fist, the boy marched over to Alisa and said, "Please get rid of that _thing_." A small finger was directed at the Ball in the girl's hand. She slowly stopped petting Zorua, and stood up to look at N. She was centimeters shorter than him, even when she stood at full height. Aqua eyes met with cerulean, and Alisa's answer was a firm: "No."

...

The playroom was dark, as the lights had been shut off. N knew that it must be eight o'clock, since they always came on and off at those times. Twelve hours on, twelve hours off. It became how he told time, how he knew when the days changed. However, the girl did not know what that meant, so when the light suddenly disappeared, she let out a shrill yelp. N had been close by, as he was still trying to convince her to get rid of the Pokéball, and he let out a gasp when the girl's slender arms wrapped around his body into a tight, fearful hug. "It's dark... Its dark, its dark, its dark!" Alisa whimpered repeatedly, her face buried in the boy's chest. Typical nine-year old fears; of all of them, the darkness is the one that plagued her constantly. She connected the dark with monsters and loss, with betrayal and secrets, and with...with Ghetsis, because in her eyes he was much worse than a monster. He was something she couldn't run to her mother's room from, he was something she couldn't hide behind Kole from, he was something that the only protection she had against was a boy scarcely older than her and an electric pony that, no matter how upset he would be if she said this, was just not strong enough to take the green haired man down on his own.

N felt the young girl shake with silent sobs as she clung to his frail form. He was so confused; the dark had never been a thing he feared. His father, yes, he feared his father. And he feared the men and women who hurt his friends. But to him, the dark was salvation - a time where he could rest, recover and regain what little sanity he clung to as he went through day after day. "D-don't cry..." he said, attempting to comfort someone for the first time in his young life. Always he had been the one needing comfort, and never received any. Stroking the girl's hair, like what his mother did for him, so long ago that he barely remembered, he placed another hand on the child's back. N continued rubbing the girl's hair kindly until her soft sniffles resided. And then he said words he hardly ever used, besides for his friends.

"I'm your friend; it'll be okay."

**AN:**

**I know I'm really beating Alisa up but I promise it'll get better. *crosses heart* And to cushion the blows dealt to her I gave her a fluff moment with N at the end. Because I'm a nice- *shotdeadeatenbywolves***


	3. Chapter 3

It was the morning after Alisa had been taken from her home. She awoke to find herself in a pile of assorted plush PokéDolls, and the quiet sound of plastic being rubbed together. Turning her head, she saw a young boy sitting beside her, a golden Rubrics-Cube in his hand. The sound was coming from him constantly changing the different sides and pieces, trying to get it so that a small black square was in the center of each side. Curious, the brunette girl asked from where she laid, "Is that hard?"

The boy shook his head, not looking away from the cube; "Not really. My quickest time is forty-two seconds. I'm trying to beat it." Alisa watched him for a moment longer, then inquired sweetly, "Can I try?" The blur of fingers stopped and the other child, N, looked at her. A moment of silence followed, before the mint-green haired child nodded. He passed off the cube, and Alisa began to fiddle with the sides. Every once and awhile, N would wince visibly, until the girl finally complained, "It's rigged!" She had somehow gotten all the black pieces into one side, and the twelve-year old chuckled slightly. "No, you were just doing it wrong." as he took it back from her. He then began to attempt to fix it, every other moment pausing to stare intently at it.

Alisa sighed quietly, and looked at the ceiling. A colorful plane went in circles above their head, attached to a mobile. As she watched it, she recalled last night. The lights had suddenly disappeared, and she went into a panic. She had grabbed onto N in an attempt to keep herself safe; the boy comforted her kindly, then got out a flashlight that he had. Using the small beam of the flashlight to guide them, they gathered a spot for both of them to sleep. N had offered for them to sleep in his bed, but Alisa explained that boys and girls can't sleep in a bed together without getting in trouble. So they slept amongst the group of Pokémon, N's friends, and stuffed dolls. And speaking of Pokémon... "Oh!" Alisa lifted her head abruptly when she noticed that her pillow was moving. It was a fluffy bird, with blue feathers; a Rufflet. The Eaglet Pokémon chirped as he wiggled out from beneath her, and smiled. Alisa stroked its soft feathers, and looked back at N. He was just finishing the square puzzle, and he sighed, "You really messed up the cube." Letting a small giggle escape, Alisa countered, "I don't get to use one all the time." Rolling onto her side, she poked the item in the Prince's hand lazily.

N looked her, blinking. _She hasn't woken up fully..._ He noted, looking at the other child's still sleepy eyes. That was probably the best for right now, as her reality had taken a downward spiral that he wasn't sure would ever pull up again. She had been kidnapped and abused from the moment she got to this castle, and N couldn't help but feel bad for her. On the other hand, he didn't mind having another person around - even though she was supposedly a rebel.

After a moment, Alisa's current situation came crashing down on her like a tsunami; and she let out a small, barely audible choked cry. N heard it, and he stopped his fixing of the RubicsCube. "Uh... do you want to..." he started feebly, glancing at the little brunette who now had her face in her hands. She looked up pitifully just as the Rufflet let out a saddened trill and nuzzled her cheek, hugging her neck with his small wings. With a giggle the child wiped away a tear and gently picked up the Eaglet Pokémon, setting it on her lap and beginning to stroke its back. Satisfied the poor girl had been distracted, N went back to his RubicsCube.

After a while, A loud commotion outside of the room made both N and Alisa look up. Zorua, who had been curled up beside the young Prince, stood at alert, whereas Blitzle scampered over to join Alisa. There was happy shouting, and the sound of someone being dragged roughly. Alisa's curiosity overpowered all warnings that she shouldn't investigate, and she stood. Within seconds she was at the door and turning it's bronze nob. "Wait!" N had gasped, but Alisa didn't pay attention. She pulled open the door, and a shrill yelp of shock exited her body.

The man with fire-red hair, that had given Alisa her Poké Balls the day prior, was collapsed on the ground, appearing to have been fiercely punched. The four Grunts outside didn't notice the girl, and were smirking down at the fallen Champion. "Pathetic thing, he is." one sneered, and jabbed a kick into the fire-headed man's side. He grunted in pain, and attempted to pull himself to his hands and knees, only to be knocked back down once more.

"Stop it!" the young girl's yell made all of the Grunts turn and stare. She was fully outside of the room and in the hallway, her tiny fists at her sides. "L-leave him alone!" Alisa glared as fiercely as possible, her fear of these men almost making her want to cower in terror. One of them lunged forward, grabbing for her; "You little pest-!" But the girl ducked underneath him and ran over to the Champion. That was proven to be a mistake, though, as three other Plasma members now surrounded her.

"Child..." The Champion, reduced to a quivering human on the ground, recognized the girl; she had been the one with sparkling eyes and a glowing spirit. Had he known that she had been caught, he would have never given himself up; he had thought there had been hope, but no. Hope had been taken away. Getting unsteadily to his feet, the Champion reached for the sash going around his shawl, only to find it gone. _They took it..._ he recalled, as the Team Plasma members around the two tittered at his attempt to find a Pokémon. That's when the man noticed Blitzle.

Blitzle had galloped after Alisa loyally, keeping one eye on the Plasma grunts and one eye on the man that had appeared before his friend and he were captured. He was fearful as well, his short fur bristling with electricity as he warily eyed the Plasma grunts. Though his stance was brave, it also showed that he knew he wasn't as physically strong as he was acting. An idea struck the former Champion, and he hurriedly asked Alisa, "Is that Blitzle yours?" Surprised, the girl looked at the man in confusion, "No. He's my friend." "I meant, do you have a Pokéball for him?"

"... Uh-huh..." Vaguely, the child knew what he meant; the round objects that were given to her by him, one which had accidentally been used to obtain Blitzle. She had it within her bag, which she had kept around her arm even while asleep. The man smiled wanly, then uttered, "Tell your friend to use an attack." Alisa was startled; _An attack?!_ "Enough chit-chat!" one of the Plasmas growled, stepping forward, "You've got a lot of gall, brat, interfering with our bringing of him to Ghetsis." He pulled out a black sphere, which had a button on it similar to a Pokéballs, and sneered, "Now you have to pay the price."

Alisa squeaked, her cerulean eyes wide. _What will he do to me?! I DON'T WANT US TO GET HURT ANYMORE!_ And then, in a desperate shout, Alisa declared, "Blitzle, discharge!" Her Electric-type friend did as he was told, his mane crackling with energy before he cried out and released the electricity directly at the Grunt. "_BLLLIIIIIITZZ!_" "AAAAAGGH!" the Plasma cried in pain, dropping his item to the floor, where it bounced and rolled away harmlessly. The others were too shocked to speak; and the same was for Alisa, "I..." she gasped, and the Pokémon Champion grinned behind her, placing a worn, tired hand on the child's shoulder. But the battle had yet to be won - the other three were pulling out their own black circles, which were their special Poké Balls, and sent out the creatures. Several gopher-like things appeared, Patrats, and the Grunts laughed darkly, and one snickered, "That puny Blitzle can't take on three at once."

"Maybe not, but Volcarona can." During the commotion, the Champion, who was known as Alder, had reached under his poncho and pulled out a minimized, hidden Ball, which he enlarged before declaring, "Go! Volcarona!" And the Fire-Bug combination did emerge, his huge fuzzy white and blue body beating powerful fire-colored wings. Alisa was in awe; she had never seen such a powerful Pokémon before in her life. The Grunts all gasped around them, backing away quickly; one exclaimed, "W-we took all your Pokéballs!" Alder grinned, before replying, "You _THOUGHT_ you did."

And he ordered his Torch Pokémon to attack.

* * *

_SPLASH!_ The sound of Patrat diving into the river echoed throughout the clearing. The group of rescuers, consisting of three Pokémon, two ten years olds, and an eleven year old, had gotten up at the crack of dawn to continue their quest. The eleven year old, who was named Kole, had led his friends on an expedition into the forest to try and find his sister now was trying to find her in the entire vastness of Unova, with his friends Cheren and Bianca. Now, with the assistance of the Pokémon his sister, Alisa, had befriended, he was determined to find her and bring her back home safely. An Otter Pokémon, Oshawott, was watching Patrat scope out the water. Eventually, the Sea Otter came back to shore and shook his fur free of water droplets; _-It'll be too deep for the boy to wade across.-_ he told Oshawott, who frowned. Turning to look over at Kole, she pointed at the water. The human blinked his chocolate brown eyes, before asking, "You want me to swim?"

Patrat dove back into the water and began to make his way to the deepest part. It was maybe barely over the boy's head, but still. "_Trat!_" he called, and Kole nodded. Picking up the Dream Eater Pokémon, Munna, that was coming along as well, he set the Pokémon on his head. "Could we get some help please?" He asked. Munna let out a happy trill and started using psychic until Kole was safely on the other side, followed quickly by Cheren and Bianca. Oshawott shook herself, then looked at Patrat, _-You're the best with directions. Which way is north?-_ Patrat blinked for a moment, then pointed slightly upstream. _-Into the woods a bit, going up the river.-_ And they continued. Cheren eventually spoke up, "Do you guys know how much longer?" He said that as he folded his arms behind his head, glancing around at the dense trees and bushes. _-We'll get there when we get there you whiny humans!- _Oshawott grumbled under her breath. _-You know they can't understand you, right?- _Patrat asked. Oshawott gave him no response but a deathly unhappy glare.

* * *

A commotion could be heard from deep within the castle. Ghetsis, the King of Team Plasma, turned as a lowly Grunt dashed into the room. "S-sir! We managed to capture the outlaw, Alder!" The cruel delight was unmistakable on the pale-green haired man's face as he uttered, "Wonderful." But the follower wasn't finished yet; he looked worriedly at his king and he added, "However... There's been a complication..." Irritated, Ghetsis snapped, "What could possibly go wrong?!"

"Well, you see, there was this little girl..."

* * *

N heard the shouts outside of his room, yet he couldn't bring himself to investigate. Zorua was growling slightly, his dark fur bristled as he watched the slightly ajar door. Suddenly, a very distinguishable voice boomed through the corridor and into N's room; "What is going on here?" It was colder than the peaks of the highest mountains, and the power within it could've stopped a thousand charging Rhydons. Now the young boy _had_ to go and see what was going on; because his father was out there, and so was Alisa.

Alisa had heard Ghetsis before she saw him, and she stiffened. Turning slowly, she saw the robed man stalking towards them, both his normal and robotic eye flashing with rage. Alder blankly looked at the King, not showing the least bit of fear. His Volcarona let out a low keening sound, obviously agitated at the sight of the powerful man; that said person finally made his way to the two rebels, and hissed, "What do we have here?" His eyes locked on Alisa, who quickly stepped backwards a few inches. The former Champion side-stepped, so as to stand in front of the girl, and stated coolly, "Ghetsis, you have no reason to keep this young child here."

The King let out a sharp laugh, before replying wickedly, "As a matter of fact, I do. And I don't think you are in a position to speak to the King of Team Plasma in such a way." Not giving away anything, Alder easily countered, lying, "I wonder what the public would think if they found out you were beating a little girl just because she happened to be lost in the woods." Alisa looked up at him in astonishment;_But I wasn't!_ Eyes narrowing dangerously, Ghetsis growled, "And who would believe you? You have been on the run for nine years - no one would trust you."

That made Alder blink, before he smiled slightly, "The evidence is on the child," he countered, gesturing slightly to the girl behind him; "Where would she get bruises like that?"

"Do you honestly expect me to release her, after what she's seen?"

A small gasp came from behind the Champion; Alisa's hands flew over her mouth, and she felt sick. _I'm never going home?!_ No one noticed the door to the playroom slowly open.

Alder paled slightly, images flashing in his mind of possible fates for the young girl. He could not allow it. Lowering his head, the fire-headed man then said: "If you release the girl, I will give up all my attempts of rebellion." That sent panic through Alisa, and she choked out, "But—!" This man had been kind to her, even though all her life she had been told that the outlaws were the most treacherous of them all. Ghetsis's eyes gleamed, dark thoughts swirling in his mind. Then it dawned upon the King; "Take him."

Immediately, two Grunts grabbed the former Champion by the arms, who momentarily resisted, before questioning, "You will give the child her freedom?" Ghetsis mulled over that for a moment, scanning the group, all waiting his damning answer. A cold sneer formed as he answered: "Eventually." - Just as a tranquilizer dart was shot at the Volcarona. The Torch Pokémon let out a screech, before dropping to the tile floor with a loud _'THUD'_; Alder cried out in rage, fighting fiercely against his captors' grip; "We had a deal, you bastard!" All the anger that he had contained over almost a decade came spilling out, and he thrashed greatly. The little brunette had been grabbed by a Grunt, the Blitzle at her side kicked so hard that it was sent careening away, where it hit the wall with a sickening '_SMACK_' before collapsing to the ground

Alisa screamed, "Blitzle!" The small electric pony didn't get up. "Get him out of my sight." the King ordered his minions, who began to lead the struggling man away. The stunned Volcarona was picked up by a couple more, which followed the prisoner. Alisa was on her knees, one wrist being clutched in the hand of a Plasma, sobbing her eyes out. "Get up, Blitzle! Please get up!" she begged, tears stinging her bruised face. Ghetsis focused his horrible gaze on the child, and slowly walked over to her. Looking down at the sniveling girl in disgust, he snarled, "You interfering little piece of filth!" Upon finishing his sentence, Ghetsis raised his hand high above his head to strike her.

"Father, no!"

N had been standing in the doorway, but when he saw what was about to happen to Alisa, the young prince rushed out to stand in his Father's path. The King looked down at his son in distain, eyes flashing; "What?" Not daring to abuse the future heir in front of his followers, his hand reluctantly returned to his side. N, relieved for once of the company of the Plasmas, stammered, "I-I want to be the one to p-punish her."

Those words hit Alisa like a brick, and she bowed her head, eyes filling up with enough tears that her vision was blurred. Ghetsis gave his son a look that could be described as nothing short of pure astonishment at the sudden developement. N, who had never wanted anything to do with punishments in his young life, was now suddenly offering to punish a little girl who was a rebel; "... I see." Stepping backwards, Ghetsis narrowed his eyes at the now crying girl. "Make sure it is of equal worth of her crime." And with a swish of his cloak, the King turned on his heels and stormed off. Alisa felt the Grunt release her and follow his leader; the child just sat there, and watched N walk over to Blitzle. Picking up the black and white pony, the prince began to murmur softly at the small creature. He then heard a sob come from Alisa, who had her head buried in her hands.

"H-he's h-hurt, a-and it's a-all my f-f-fault!" the brunette hiccupped in despair. N stared at her, unsure of how to respond to her statement. In the corridor, the two children merely were there - one sobbing, the other holding an injured friend in his arm. The girl slowly calmed herself down and lifted her head, determinedly uttering, "If it takes everything I have..." a sniffle interrupted her words, "I will escape this dumb castle."


	4. Chapter 4

Rain pattered down, soaking the earth and quenching the thirst of all vegetation. The sounds of it echoed through the trees as Cole, Cheren, and Bianca made their way through the thick mud. Weary and exhausted, Cheren stumbled yet again, barely catching himself before landing face-first in the wet dirt. He was drenched to the bone, and didn't have the energy to keep moving. Oshawott slid up to the young boy and nudged him gently. He didn't react in the slightest. Her eyes narrowed in concern, and she turned to face the rest of their Pokémon group. _-He needs shelter.-_ she said to the others, and Patrat murmured, _-I'll find a cave or something.-_ He scampered off, splashing faintly in the puddles. Munna cooed softly, and sat on Bianca's head. She blinked her green eyes open slowly, and groaned wordlessly. Patrat, meanwhile, was hopping from puddle to puddle, looking around. Suddenly, he bristled; _-Humans!-_

Munna, who wore Cole's hat to shield herself from the rain, squealed in alarm. The human children looked up at their calls, and saw a very distinct outline of a person. He gasped, and sat up. "Hey—" He cut himself off in mid-sentence; what if it was a man like the one who'd kidnapped his sister? However, as the person got closer, it was obvious that it was a male - a young blue haired boy with pale skin. He peered at the three young children standing or sitting in front of him and at the three pokemon, gripping the umbrella handle he held tightly. Puzzled, the boy asked, "Are those your Pokémon?" referring to the three creatures around the children.

"No... But..." Cole didn't know how to react. This boy looked like one of the outlaws. And like someone he'd seen long ago. Shaking his head to clear it, he stammered out, "Have you seen my sister?" The boy didn't answer, instead going over to him and offering a hand. He paid no mind to Patrat or Oshawott, who were growling warningly at him. "I'm Cress," he stated, taking Cole's hand and helping him to his feet, "And I don't think you'll find your sibling in this downpour." The blue haired boy appeared to be fourteen (fifteen at the oldest), with a black longsleeve turtleneck sweater and some dark navy blue jeans on, as well as a pair of worn and faded brown hiking boots. Cole gulped at the truth, and mumbled, "Well, I don't have a place to wait it out..." "Where do you live?" Cress asked. "Far from here." "Then come with me."

Cress began to lead Cole, Bianca, and Chere through the trees, with Oshawott and Munna tagging along. Patrat soon joined them after finally losing suspicion. Cress glanced back, surprised at the sight of humans and Pokémon being so close to each other. It had been so long... "Almost there." he said, turning her attention back forward. Then, they were at a large clearing. A huge moss-colored tent was set up in the center, and muffled chatter could be heard from within it. "HEY GUYS!" The teen called, dropping Cole's hand and dashing into the fabric shelter. The talking stopped, and then someone else emerged from the tent; a man, his dark black hair unkempt and tousled, yet obviously once elegant, loomed before the young boy. "Who are these three poor children?" he inquired in a flourishing tone, and he turned back slightly as Cress reappeared. He blinked, then looked at Cole. Taking that as his cue to speak up, the brunette boy hastily answered, "Cole; that's Bianca and Cheren. I'm looking for my little sister—"

"Well, 'Cole', 'Bianca' and 'Cheren', you must be soaked to the skin! Come inside, quickly, before you catch your death!" The next thing the three children knew, they were inside the tent, with their traveling Pokémon beside them, with a couple of towels thrown onto their heads. Glancing around, Cole noticed that there were only four occupants of the shelter, including Cress and the man from earlier. In fact, the man was the only other male in this small group.

"Grimsley! That's my name!" he chuckled, "One of the Elite Four members!" Cole stared, unimpressed as he asked, "What's the Elite Four?" Grimsley slumped slightly in disappointment and Cheren elbowed Cole.

"The Elite Four were the top four trainers of the Unova League under the former Champion Alder; I think that two out of the four were captured and thrown in jail." He whispered, taking off his glasses and rubbing all of the water off of them with his towel. Grimsley nodded.

"Right you are young man; now would you mind telling me why you three were out soaked to the bone in the middle of the forest?" He asked.

Cole chewed on his lip, then opened his mouth to speak, starting from the beginning, with Alisa going into the forest daily and how she was taken, and up to now.

When he was finished, four sets of eyes were glued on him. Finally, Cress whispered, "So there's hope..." "She could still be alive," Grimsley murmured, placing a hand on his chin. Cole stiffened, and repeated with a squeak, "Alive?!"

Cress looked at Cole, eyes filled with a hollow sadness as he said, "When one of our own is captured, they're as good as dead – we never see them again."

Waves of horror washed over the eleven-year old boy, and he felt like he was going to be sick. _Dad... Alisa!_ Gritting his teeth, Cole hissed, "I need to save her."

Bianca and Cheren both stood up as well, clenching their fists. "We can't just give up and head home just like that; we've already come too far!" Bianca exclaimed angrily. Cheren nodded in agreement. "And we're going to save Alisa whether you like it or not!" He growled.

The adults all stared at them in surprise; "That's impossible." The fourth party member spoke. Her long golden hair hung all the way to her knees, and the nightgown looking robe she had on looked a bit worse for wear, even though it still complimented her figure beautifully. "Skyla, Cress, Grimsley and I have all attempted to rescue our comrades - and we've all failed." "Caitlin..." Cress breathed sadly.

Cole watched the four, panic encasing him as he saw the hopelessness that emanated from their eyes, "We can't... You guys..." His hands clenched in frustration, "_YOU SHOULDN'T BE GIVING UP!_" The adults all gazed at Cole at his sudden outburst. Cole shut his eyes as he continued, "I'm not going to ever stop searching for Alisa! She's my sister, and I'd be a horrible brother to give up on her!" Remembering Alisa crying out in heartache when their father had been taken, he went on, "Alisa needs me! We've already lost Dad... _I CAN'T LOSE HER TOO!_"

The soft 'plip' of a tear sounded as it landed on Cole's lap. He was silently crying - from anger, from grief, from loss. He hadn't been able to stop them; he hadn't been able to anything. And now, she was alone.`

All alone... He couldn't stand such a thought. Clenching his fists, he stood up.

"If you won't help me find her, then fine. I'll go alone if I have to. I don't care." He growled angrily. With that he whirled around and started for the exit. Seconds later Caitlin grabbed his wrist.

"We never said we wouldn't try to help..." She said hesitantly. Cole gave her a discriminating glare then finally sighed.

"Okay, fine..." He muttered.

* * *

N watched her sleep, the Rufflet she had been playing with earlier snuggled tightly against her side, occasionally letting out a warble of defiance, as if dreaming about having a battle. Alisa had been led back to his room and soon collapsed, sobbing, with the Blitzle in her arms. Eventually, the crying resided, and the young girl fell asleep. The young prince, perplexed at how close she appeared to be with this Pokémon, sat beside her and stared. Every once and awhile, she would whimper, causing the green-haired boy to jolt. He didn't know if she was having a nightmare or not.

After awhile, his attention turned to the girl's hair. For some reason, it called out to him, begging for him to touch it. So he did; he lightly stroked her soft head, and almost flinched when the girl shifted beneath him. "Daddy..." he heard her whine, and he stopped. N blinked slowly, then his eyes clouded. _She's probably having a bad dream._ He thinks, recalling all the frightening nightmares that he'd experienced over the years. No one had ever comforted him. Not even when he awoke screaming and crying for his mother. Suddenly, he noticed a sparkle come from near Alisa's closed eyelids. A tear. It slipped out of the shut orbs and down the girl's cheek, finally falling quietly onto the carpet. N chewed on his lip, slowly withdrawing his hand. More small water diamonds escaped, clinging to the girl's face as she dreamed the horrible dream.

N was almost mesmerized. He had never seen such raw emotion in anyone. His father had always been stoic – or angry. Either way, such sadness was foreign to him. Alisa stirred whether from his movement or because of her own choice, and slowly sat up. N scooted backwards, surprisingly nervous at the thought of being caught staring at her. She simply sat there, blinking awake. Once she noticed the still-fresh tears, her jaw clenched. Her body seemed to quiver with suppressed cries, and she brought her hands up to her face. How much crying had she done in the past few days?

Hesitantly, N crawled over to her and stammered, "Wh-what's wrong... Alisa?" He was cautious at saying her name – he was worried she'd get angry at him for it. Alisa blinked at the sound of N's voice, and she moved her hands away. Looking at the boy, her heart clenched at the sincerity in his eyes. Sniffling, she whispered, "N... I-I..." And promptly threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around the strange prince as she sobbed out, "I'm so scared, N!" Her wrenched crying was the only sound in the lonesome playroom. Stiffening, the young boy barely restrained himself from jerking away. He didn't love this sort of touching, but he didn't hate it either – it was a weird thing to experience for him. Soon, Alisa regained control over herself, stopping the tears and hurriedly moving away. Going over to Blitzle, Alisa quietly whispered, "Sorry..."

She turned her back to N, eyes sad. Why had she hugged him? She was a prisoner. And he was one of her many captors. Softly petting Blitzle, Alisa closed her eyes, willing her friend to get up.

"...Alisa..." Hearing her name, Alisa's eyes reopened, and she turned her head. N was staring at the ground, clenching his hands into fists. "Uh..." He attempted to start again. "I... I'm really sorry... about you being scared." Taking a deep breath, N quickly said, "But I'd never hurt you, so please don't cry!"

The silence that followed was murdering to the young prince. Alisa was startled, too stunned to say anything. She recalled how N had stepped between her and his father, saying that he would give the punishment instead. At first, she'd been fearful, but now...

"Why are you being nice to me?" The young girl's words were barely audible. She didn't wait for him to answer, turning her attention back to her injured friend. Surprisingly, though, Blitzle's eyes were open and looking at Alisa curiously. The girl gasped and squealed, "Blitzle!" Taking her tired friend into her arms, Alisa whimpered, "Thank Arceus that you're all right!"

N watched the girl again, going silent. Suddenly, a gurgling noise sounded from Alisa. She gasped, and blushed, stammering, "I haven't eaten in awhile! S-sorry..." Reaching into her bag, she searched for any type of substance. Finding a single granola bar, she smiled gratefully. "Whew..."

Then she recalled that N was still here. "Oh... Do you want some?" she asked innocently, as she opened the foil packaging. It was a simple chocolate-chip granola snack. N stared at it warily and wrinkled his nose slightly. Breaking it in half, Alisa held out the prince's piece, saying, "Just try it."

N's eyes looked from the treat to Alisa, and back again. Finally, he held out a hand and accepted the piece. Alisa smiled largely and took a bite of her own, waiting for N to do the same. At first, N simply turned to portion of food over in his hand, frowning, and then he asked, "What kind of berry is this?"

Staring at N, Alisa couldn't suppress the smile that crept up onto her face. Not even bothering to stifle the giggles that followed, she told the surprised N between her small laughs, "It's not a berry, goof! It's a granola bar!"

"Granola?" He looked at her quizzically, "What's that?" "It's a type of plant." Alisa answered, the grin still sketched onto her face. "Try it – it has chocolate chip bits in it, too!" The young brunette watched as N took a hesitant bite of the bar, and listened happily as he exclaimed, "This is yummy!" His aqua eyes sparkled brightly as he had another taste of the snack, oblivious to Alisa's laughing. Soon, they were eating in silence. Blitzle was snoozing beside Zorua on the carpet, nestled amongst the plush dolls. Rufflet walked over, tilting his head and sitting next to Alisa. She giggled and started petting his back, smiling when he started warbling. After several moments, Alisa got the courage to ask: "Do you really hear Pokémon?"

N looked at her tentatively but nodded. Interest sparked in the girl's eyes and she inquired further, "So, do you talk to them, too?" "Y-yes…" "Really?" Smiling brightly, Alisa crumpled the shiny wrapper and placed it in her bag. "What kind of things do you talk about?"

"Nothing special…"

"Aw, really? Don't you ask them what it's like to be so strong?"

"Eh?" N stared at her in astonishment, blinking multiple times. "What do you mean?" "I've been taught at school that Pokémon are supposed to be really strong – much stronger than a human." Getting to her feet, Alisa picked up her bag and adjusted the strap so it sat comfortably on her shoulder. She went over to Blitzle and slowly pulled out the Pokéball used for her friend. Without a backwards glance at N, she pressed the button that sent the Electric Pony into his container. The prince winced at the sight, and got up as well. "Alisa, you shouldn't use those things… They'll get you in trouble." Alisa turned and stared up at the boy defiantly, and replied, "I'm leaving."

Shock was clearly visible in N's face. In the time it took Alisa to put on her shoes and start to tie them, as she had taken them off earlier, N recovered from the surprise and reached to touch the girl's shoulder; "That's not a good idea. If Father found out—" She jerked her shoulder away, finishing with her tennis shoes, and looked at her fellow human. "N," she began, getting back up, "I need to go home. My mommy is worried about me, and so is my brother. If I stay here, your dad will hurt me again." To emphasize her point, she brushed away the thick strand of her hair framing her face, revealing the dark bruise that had been imprinted only yesterday. Rufflet, who stood next to her loyally, spread his small wings and cawed angrily, then fluttered up and landed on her shoulder, puffing up his feathers.

Worried, the boy chewed on his lip, "He doesn't mean to…" In an instant, Alisa's eyes flashed crossly as she interrupted, "Doesn't mean to?! _Doesn't mean to_?!" Hands clenching into fists, she whirled around and stormed towards the door. "I don't want to be around a jerk like him, N!" Her small hand gripped the doorknob as she peered over her shoulder back at the green-haired prince, Rufflet copying her movements. "Blitzle and I are going home!"

Right as she spoke, the other part of the double door creaked open – revealing none-other than the leader of the Seven Sages.

* * *

**Okay I know it's a bit short but hey. Exciting crap is gonna be happening next time, so keep your fingers crossed for N, Alisa, and Blitzle. And maybe that Rufflet because I've kinda grown attached to the little guy.**


	5. Chapter 5

"So, you desire to leave my humble castle, girl?" The icy tone of Ghetsis nearly froze Alisa to the spot. In a flash, she released the knob as if it was burning hot, and backed away from the intimidating man. Ghetsis looked from her to his son, gaze cold and unwelcoming. "To think, I was bringing another companion for the boy." With a casual toss of his hand, the unnoticed shiny Litwick was thrown into the room. It cried out fearfully, but was successfully caught by Alisa, who quickly stroked the poor thing's head while glaring fearfully at Ghetsis. Bright robes swishing, the man loomed over Alisa and growled, "And yet, upon arrival, I find the moronic girl wanting to go back home." Alisa gulped, fingers twitching as she thought about pulling out Blitzle's Pokéball. She glanced back in N's direction, only to see him staring at his father with fright. Sudden courage filled the young girl, and she faced Ghetsis again. "Yes, I want to go home – and I'm taking N with me!"

Before the Sage could fully take in her words, Alisa whirled around and grabbed N's hand. The startled boy didn't refuse as he was tugged forward. She ducked past the menacing man, towing the prince close behind, along with a scampering Zorua, and darted into the hallway. Ghetsis seemed to realize what was happening, and lunged for his son. The small fox Pokémon, however, snarled and jumped up, nipping at the man's outstretched hand. Shouting out, Ghetsis only watched as his son and prisoners started to flee down the corridor. Eyes flashing with unfiltered rage, he screamed, "Guards! Seize them both! Show no mercy to the fools!"

Alisa panted, her small feet slamming onto the tiled floor in earnest. "Where's the nearest exit, N?!" she gasped out as they rounded the first corner. N blinked, still in shock at what was happening. "I don't know – I've never been out of the palace before." He managed to say over the sounds of their escape. The brunette child frowned, and looked to her left; a large window. She peered at her right; a door leading into another room. She was about to choose the door, when it burst open in a bang. Several Plasmas stood there, looks of disdain on their faces as they gazed at the girl and their prince. Alisa skidded to a halt, eyes huge with terror as the men started to advance. She was about to pull out Blitzle, when suddenly; "_LIIIIIT__!_"

The Litwick sprang out of Alisa's arms and shot a hot flash of blue flames at their pursuers. The men cried out, freezing in their chase. Without even hesitating, Alisa cried out, "Hold on tight, N!" As she spoke, she constricted her grip on the green-haired boy and whirled around, charging at the window.

Throwing her bag in front of her to soften the blow, the children exploded through the colorful glass pane. Bits of sharp glass dug into their skin momentarily before falling out. Alisa and N hung suspended in the air for one fleeting second, before plummeting down. Screaming loudly, the two entwined their hands tightly together, not noticing that their fellow Pokémon companions had jumped down after them.

But then they were weightless. It was as if they had stopped falling moments before hitting the earth. However, they were still at least two stories above the ground. Alisa peeked open her eyes, which had automatically shut once she had seen how far off the grassy ground was, and blanched as she recognized the person that had caught them, as their rescuer was perched on a window ledge.

"What… ?!"

Alisa stared in surprise at the sight of the familiar Shadow Triad member. "You…" she exclaimed, cerulean eyes growing wide, "You were the one who brought me to this place!" The white-haired man blinked his steely gray eyes at her, saying nothing. He held onto both N and Alisa, and soon after, the two Pokémon that had been with the children plopped down into his arms as well. Being perched on the edge of a window was rather perilous sounding to most, but it was surprisingly easy for the Shadow Triad member. In a blur of dark static, they were safely on the ground. He quickly relinquished his hold on Alisa, but wouldn't stop holding the green-haired child. "Lord N needs to be returned to his room," he states calmly, even though the young boy began to struggle frantically. Alisa's eyes widened, and immediately she clutched onto the man's free hand, tugging on it. "He can't go back! His dad will hurt him!"

"…" His blank gaze transferred down to the girl, and he slowly blinked. _The determination in this child's eyes is surprising… even after spending a few days in the castle._ A slightly annoyed sigh escaped him, surprising both children. Gingerly setting the boy down, the Triad turned as if to leave. Something stirred in Alisa, as she was moved by the man's obvious disobedience of orders and subtle show of compassion, and she murmured, "Wait…!" Not turning back, the cloaked man replied stoically, "What?"

"Why… are you helping me?" Her words were so quiet, that barely even the Pokémon heard her words. A long pause ensued, as the Shadow Triad mulled over the brunette's question. Then, "Team Plasma's goal has long since strayed from its original path. My own loyalties are starting to waver as well; my only duty, as I see it, is currently to Lord N." Before Alisa or N could comprehend his words, the man vanished.

The two children looked at each other uncertainly. N thought over his father's follower's statement, and seemed to grasp the husk of what it really meant. _Does he mean that Father is USING Team Plasma?_ As soon as that daring thought crossed his mind, he immediately tried to shake it out of his head. "What am I saying…?" he muttered in astonishment to himself, head bowed, as Zorua nudged his bare foot, grabbing his attention. Lifting his head back up, the young prince saw that Alisa was gazing around at the large trees surrounding the palace. "N, do you know how to get away from this place?" the young girl asked curiously, taking a few steps towards the woods. A loud cawing of a bird Pokémon sounded from deep in the forest. The prince slowly looked around them, aqua-gray eyes widening. "I've… never been outside of the castle before." He murmured in reply after a moment. The brunette visibly stiffened. _If he hasn't even left the castle, then there's no doubt that he'll have no idea where we are._ Sighing shakily, Alisa started into the thick mess of trees. The sound of small footsteps behind her alerted Alisa that N was following close behind. After a few minutes of walking in pure silence, the two stopped to rest momentarily. They had gotten a good chunk of distance covered, despite their small leg span, and could barely see the top of the castle over the treetops. "How long before people start to look for you?" Alisa asked worriedly, thumping down onto the ground with a tired moan. Glancing in the direction of the palace, N answered uncomfortably, "The moment they realize we didn't die from the fall, they'll send out all their men to comb the forest – and they'll have out tracking Herdiers." "So we should probably hurry?" "Yeah." Alisa's eyes suddenly steeled with an electric determination that surprised N and she pulled out two pokéballs from her bag and tapped one each to the foreheads of Litwick and Rufflet, who had clung to Alisa's shoulder loyally up until that point. N visibly winced at this, then sighed, knowing it was pointless to make a big deal of it now.

The children quickly got up and took off in a hasty run.

* * *

"What do you mean they escaped, you imbeciles?!" The resounding crash of Ghetsis shattering a vase echoed through the grand hall. The three Shadow Triad members, who stood a small distance behind the Sage, didn't even flinch. The Grunt, however, that was granted the task of telling their leader the awful news was trembling in fear, the remains of the container a mere inches from his feet. "Th-they jumped out a window… we couldn't follow them directly, s-so we had to—""Leave my presence." The Plasma grunt didn't need to be told twice. He hurriedly turned and walked as quickly as he could to the large entrance doors, disappearing into the hallway without much else sound beside the click of the doors shutting.

The King of Team Plasma growled in pure frustration, pacing in front of his golden throne while his loyal Triad calmly watching him. "Fool of a child… and that girl… I should have locked her up right from the start… My judgment was impaired by my large increase in power…" Words that the Sage muttered darkly managed to drift to the ears of the Shadow men, who simply waited for any further orders they would be given. Finally coming to a sharp stop, the pale green-haired man focused his robotic and normal eyes on his Triad. "Why did neither of you attempt to stop them?"

Without missing a beat, the middle Triad stepped forward and spoke in the same expressionless tone as his siblings; "We were not aware of the activities that the Prince and the prisoner were committing at the time. Had we been alerted sooner, we would have unquestionably stopped the children successfully."

A furrow in the Sage's frown deepened. It was true that he had hardly assigned any guards to watch the two kids – then again, he had not been aware of the girl's sudden desire to free not only herself, but his son as well. Now a flaw in his great plan was beginning to emerge. That small, seemingly insignificant error in his plan to conquer the entire world was now taking shape…

The shape of a young girl named Alisa.

* * *

Panting, Alisa crashed through the underbrush. Her small shoes slammed onto the ground as she ran, stumbling multiple times as she fled as far as she could from the Plasma castle. The trees and shrubs passed her vision in a fearful blur. Blood pumped in her veins, carrying several ounces of adrenaline within each beat. She didn't bother to pause or hesitate – the brunette just wanted to get away. Herdiers could be heard in the distance, yowling as they caught onto the scent. Not very far behind Alisa, a green-haired boy was running almost as fast, gasping at the strain on his muscles. The Prince eventually caught his foot on a dead branch, tumbling onto the dirt with an audible thud. Breath knocked clear out of him, he laid there helplessly as his brunette companion continued on. "W-wait…" he wheezed, stretching out a hand. When Alisa didn't hear, he called out louder; "Alisa, wait!"

The desperate cry reached the girl's ears and she stopped unsteadily. Turning the upper part of her torso, she spotted N a distance behind her on the forest floor. Flushed and scared, she simply watched him for a moment. A daring and cruel thought crossed her mind:_What if I just left him there?_ Before Alisa could even consider the idea, a Zorua quickly arrived at N's side. He had escaped along with the two children, merely out of the desire to stay with his human friend, and now was obviously looking after him. Zorua turned back to the girl and looked at her questioningly. _-Why aren't you helping him yet?-_

Alisa stared for a second, then shook her head to clear her buzzing mind. "Sorry…" she mumbled to Zorua, mainly out of the regret for the secret thought she had had. Jogging over to the small group, she offered a slightly scratched-up hand to the young Prince. Once the boy was back on his feet, the two glanced around at their surroundings. A soft canopy of dark green leaves towered above their heads, blocking out a majority of the sunlight. Bushes as tall as the kids grew haphazardly around them, full of rough thorns and small blots of berries. N took several puffs of air, letting each one out with the same whoosh-sound. The woods were unnervingly silent.

"Did they lose our scent?" Alisa inquired, peering around even more, cerulean eyes scanning for any sign of their pursuers. Her body was like a loaded spring, ready to send her running at the slightest scare. Lungs aching and knees trembling, however, she felt like she could collapse within minutes. Not answering his companion, the boy looked down at the Pokémon that travelled with them. Zorua was bristled, warily looking around as well. Litwick was much calmer in appearance, although she stuck close to Alisa's feet. The boy finally said; "Unlikely. The Herdiers that they use are top notch." "Hey, N…" Her hands rested on her knees, giving away to her weak state, and the brunette murmured, "Do you ever wonder why your dad hurts you?"

Instantly, the green-haired child stiffened. He had never in a million centuries expected that question. Not even from this girl, who had also endured the abuse from the Team Plasma Sage. Swallowing the saliva that had pooled in his mouth, N purposefully jerked his head in the opposite direction of Alisa. "No, I don't. He tells me it's normal." The obvious lie made his voice crack. He had always wondered – every time that his father had struck him, every time that he was beaten down with words or a fist, N had boldly thought: _Why does my daddy hurt me?_

N's words had hit Alisa at full force. "Normal?!" she repeated, appalled beyond reason. Even her nine-year old brain could tell that only a monster would tell a child that such actions were normal. Now that she thought about it, the Prince seemed to have been isolated from any human contact his entire life. Her tiny hands clenched into fists as she took in what N had never comprehended. The atmosphere filled with uneasy tension. N was praying that she bought the lie and that she wouldn't pry or question further.

His prayers went unanswered as Alisa exploded, "How could hurting your own kid be normal?! What he's doing is not normal – it's far from it! Mean people like him are supposed to get locked up and kept away from the people that they hurt! N, he's a big, fat JERK!" Her last word was nearly screamed, sending startled bird Pokémon into the sky. The only sound afterwards was the movement of rustling feathers as the Flying-types vanished into the distance. Alisa was rigid, head bowed with anger. Her tense body was trembling from exhaustion and fury as she added in a quiet whisper, "My daddy would never hurt me. He would protect me from anything that tried to harm me."

"My mother was the same."

Startled at N's words, Alisa blinked and lifted her head. The boy across from her was void of emotion, his dulled eyes gazing at Alisa fixatedly. More silence ensued, drowning the thick air around them. Alisa slowly gulped, worried by the sudden lack of expression on the other child's face and, noticing the use of past-tense, asked, "What happened to your mom?"

"She died." Alisa stopped. Completely froze. She dared not try to think of why such a thing had happened, because she could tell, in that one part of the human mind that dark thoughts and evil feelings came from, she knew the answer. Her face twisted into a furious scowl and she clenched her fists before her attention was drawn to a rustling bush. At first she thought it was a Herdier, but then an orange weasel like creature with a yellow collar and a split tail crawled through the bushes. N tilted his head.

"A Buizel? I didn't think there were very many around here..." He murmured quietly. Alisa turned to him.

"I thought Buizels lived in the Sinnoh region." She said, her tone making sound as though it was a question. N shook his head and said, "No, that was until about two years ago. A sickness was wiping out a bunch of Pokémon and Team Plasma knew that'd ruin the natural balance of Unova, so they imported Pokémon from four other regions here to keep nature balanced. Sinnoh was one of those regions, and Buizels were one of the many species they brought over." He explained. Suddenly a howl seared the air behind them and Alisa panicked.

"N we have to get out of here! That howl sounded close!" She exclaimed worriedly. N thought for a moment then turned to the Buizel and began to murmur to it, and within moments it turned tail and scampered through the bushes.

"Come on Alisa; she's going to show us a place to hide that can help us stay hidden from the Herdiers." N said, looking over his shoulder. Alisa clenched her fist before nodding.

"Then let's go, before they find us." She said. With that the two children shoved through the bushes and began following the Buizel.

* * *

**Hello everybody~**

**By the way, that little explanation N gave as to why a Buizel showed up is my headcanon as to why there are suddenly species of Pokémon from every region in Unova in B2/W2. Otherwise, YAY ALISA ESCAPEDEDED~! Now she has to brave a wild wilderness filled with a couple of not very friendly pokemon with only a Litwick, a Blitzle, and a Rufflet, and a Zorua counting N's little friend. **

**Say 'WAZABI' if you want that Buizel to be N's newest best friend. **


End file.
